Lemon chicken and rice soup is a flavorful soup that’s made from just a few simple ingredients. This soup makes a great light lunch or dinner, and it’s perfect for when people are under-the-weather.
Lemon chicken and rice soup is a simple, flavorful soup that’s easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner. It’s made with tender chicken and rice in a flavorful broth with fresh lemon juice to brighten everything up.
The lemon adds just enough acidity without overpowering the other flavors, and the rice makes the soup hearty enough for a meal. It’s an easy chicken soup that’s especially good when you want something warm and nourishing without a heavy dinner.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Butter: The butter is optional, but it adds extra richness to the soup. The nutritional information includes the addition of the butter.
- To make dairy free: Simply omit the butter.
- Rice: arborio is best because it makes the soup creamier, but you can also use long grain white rice, jasmine, or basmati rice.
- Using water instead of broth: Since you simmer the chicken for 30 minutes with the vegetables and spices, you can save money by using water instead of broth and it still ends up tasting super flavorful. You can also add some chicken bouillon to help add more chicken flavor. If using broth, I highly recommend using reduced-salt or unsalted broth.
How to make lemon chicken and rice soup
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Add chicken, garlic, onion, celery, carrots, bay leaves, salt, pepper and broth to a large pot or Dutch oven.
Step 2: Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring regularly.
Step 3: Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through.
Step 4: Remove chicken from the pot and shred with two forks. Set aside.
Step 5: Add arborio rice and butter, if using, to the vegetables and broth and stir well.
Step 6: Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
Step 7: Add back in the chicken, along with the lemon juice, parsley and dill.
Step 8: Stir well and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes, or until rice is tender.
Step 9: Season with more salt and pepper if desired. Remove bay leaves before ladling into bowls.
Recipe Tips!
- How to make with leftover shredded rotisserie chicken: Add butter to the pot first, sauté the onion, then add the garlic, carrots and celery and sauté for 7 minutes, until tender. Add in the rice, salt and pepper and stir well, then add in stock (don’t use water if using leftover chicken) and simmer for 15-20 minutes before adding the shredded chicken, lemon juice, parsley and dill.
- Optional add ins: Feel free to add in veggies spinach, kale, other vegetables like zucchini, etc.
- Serving suggestions: This soup goes well with a loaf of crusty bread or soft dinner rolls on the side.
Storage
Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The soup will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored in the fridge.
The rice will absorb more of the broth as it sits, so you may find that you need to add additional broth when reheating.
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Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 ½ cups carrot diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock or chicken broth
- ¼ cup butter optional
- ¾ cup arborio rice
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill finely chopped
Instructions
- Add chicken, garlic, onion, celery, carrots, bay leaves, salt, pepper and broth to a large pot.2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs, 3 cloves garlic, 1 yellow onion, 1 cup celery, 1 ½ cups carrot, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock or chicken broth
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring regularly.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken from the pot and shred with two forks. Set aside.
- Add arborio rice and butter, if using, to the vegetables and broth and stir well.¼ cup butter, ¾ cup arborio rice
- Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Add back in the chicken, along with the lemon juice, parsley and dill.¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, ¼ cup fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons fresh dill
- Stir well and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes, or until rice is tender.
- Season with more salt and pepper if desired. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Notes
- Butter: The butter is optional, but it adds extra richness to the soup. The nutritional information includes the addition of the butter.
- How to make it with leftover shredded rotisserie chicken: Add butter to the pot first, sauté the onion, then add the garlic, carrots and celery and sauté for 7 minutes, until tender. Add in the rice, salt and pepper and stir well, then add in stock (don’t use water if using leftover chicken) and simmer for 15-20 minutes before adding the shredded chicken, lemon juice, parsley and dill.
- To make dairy free: Simply omit the butter.
- Rice: arborio is best because it makes the soup creamier, but you can also use long grain white rice.
- Optional add ins: spinach, kale, other vegetables like zucchini, etc.
- Using water instead of broth: Since you simmer the chicken for 30 minutes with the vegetables and spices, you can save money by using water instead of broth and it still ends up tasting super flavorful. If using broth, I highly recommend using reduced-salt or unsalted broth.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Lori W says
Easy to make, did not use chicken stock or butter. Used water, I forgot to get dill, but used everything else in recipe. Still flavorful. Everyone enjoyed it. This goes with the keeper recipes.
Kate Dean says
Thank you!